Around the Big Ten

[lineygoblue]

Oracle, I believe the wins will flow naturally when Michigan starts playing fundamentally sound football again.

I'm tired of seeing the likes of U Mass, Toledo and U Conn push Michigan around like they're a bad HS team. When Michigan returns to being fundamentally sound, and a TOUGH football again, the wins will come.

I despise using Ohio as an example, but that's what they've done. They simply mauled the competition, including the "best" from the SEC, .. all the way to the national title.

That's how its done.

[entropy]

NC or bust... Alexander the Great would not settle for anything less

[hack]

9 wins.

[lineygoblue]

I hope so, Hack.

If that happens, it will be because tough, sound football has returned to Michigan.

[hack]

But, you know, fuck that. We get MSU at home and 6 games to gel first. 10 wins.

[The Oracle]

He's obviously going to get them winning by teaching good football, but to say he won't be judged on W/L in year 1 is...well, you fill it in.

[whodean]

This isn't a situation where he has to rebuild from nothing, and expectations show that.

[iam416]

JH isn't the first rockstar hire in the B10. Fair or not, he's going to be compared to UFM. He can, of course, nip all of that with a win in AA agsinst UFM.

[entropy]

He's no Tom Osborne


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[iam416]

Well, if he is, I'm ok with it. If he follows Dr. Tom's career arc, by the time M is finally winning national titles I'll be nearly dead.

I'd be far more concerned if he were an UFM. 3 national titles in 13 seasons would not be good.

hello

[froot loops]

Are you kidding me? Harbaugh didn't come here to just teach guys how to fucking wrap up. He better get 9 wins this year.

Are you calling for his firing if he doesn't? Nine wins is doable but not a given. It took a decade for Michigan to get in this spot, unless he's Merlin he's not getting it back in one year.

[Jeff Buchanan]

I'm with Linesmen on this one.

Harbaugh went 8-5 in his first season at Stanford. Admittedly, they lacked the talent that M already has on the roster but you all with these high expectations know that it is WAY more than that.

Your players have to buy in. There has to be team leadership and chemistry between the players themselves and between the coaches and the players. At first glance, Harbaugh looks to be working some stuff in that regard but we just don't know because we are not inside the locker room. His known history as far as relationships with players, his intensity, his direct participation in conditioning and practice he is famous for at all the places he has been can all contribute. But I'm not buying in until I see the kind of play on the field that is capable of restoring greatness to M football.

[The Oracle]

Are you calling for his firing if he doesn't? Nine wins is doable but not a given. It took a decade for Michigan to get in this spot, unless he's Merlin he's not getting it back in one year.

Yeah, I'd call for his firing. WTF? You can still call it a seriously disappointing season and not want someone fired. The schedule is there for 9 wins. I'm not looking for form blocking and form tackling and calling it good.

[Jeff Buchanan]

......... You can still call it a seriously disappointing season and not want someone fired. The schedule is there for 9 wins. I'm not looking for form blocking and form tackling and calling it good.

You have a point there, O.

Still, my expectations are muted. I suspect that's from a decade of dong punches after 4 decades of hopeful expectations EVERY pre-season.

Still, I like Liney's outlook. We are brothers after all. He shields me from cold winds in the stadium in October and November. I will always love him for that.

[lineygoblue]

Oracle, the "unreasonable expectations" guy in me wants Michigan to win at least 10 games, including wins over both MSU and OSU. I believe MSU will be ripe for picking with their defensive losses, and OSU will just plain be ripe for picking.

But, having been thru this decade of disaster with Michigan has taught me to temper my expectations a bit.

I am 100% bought in with Harbaugh. He's the guy we all wanted, and by some miraculous twist of fate, we managed to get him. I love that. But I also understand that Michigan's problems are (were) more than just whom was occupying the HC's office. I saw a product on the field that did not in any way represent traditional Michigan football. We've got to get back to that. And if his early actions are any indication, Harbaugh believes that too.

I believe that getting Michigan back to sound fundamental football will bring with it the kind of winning we all want to see. Teams that execute their offense and defense very well, and pride themselves on how well they do it, ... manage to win lots of football games. The examples are out there, I don't need to point them out.

I agree its not as simple as teaching them to hit and wrap. Its going to take more than that. But sometimes, on individual plays, at key points of the game, it IS that simple. Hit the guy, wrap him up, and put him on the ground.